he detainment of Abigail Hernandez by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has exposed holes in Rochester's Sanctuary City policy, immigrant rights activists say. Hernandez, 21, was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat against East High School after she allegedly posted threatening language on the school's Facebook page on February 15.
Hernandez came to the US from Mexico with her parents when she was 3, and qualified for protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. She was arraigned in City Court and was set to be released on bail, but then ICE took her into custody. She now faces deportation.
The handling of Hernandez's case "exposes serious weaknesses in the Sanctuary resolution," said Metro Justice, ROCitizen, and Rochester Democratic Socialists of America in a joint statement. Rochester updated its Sanctuary City status in February 2017, outlining that city personnel, including police, will not inquire about people's immigration status.